Deceased, Memory, and Hope

For some strange reason the web site came up on my computer.  It was the site of my High School class.  One feature of the site was a brief update of various class members. I scrolled and one after another, the descriptions included the word, “deceased” – from my best friends, to teammates, to girlfriends, to unknown classmates (there were 712 in my Senior class). That same evening, I attended a Major League Baseball game with friends from my college alma mater.  Among the attendees, there was not one member of classes that overlapped my class.  As I watched the game, I also reflected on great memories of classmates of long ago. A much younger friend came up the aisle and as he approached my aisle seat he asked, “Having a good time, Dr. Dan”?  My response was “Sure.” But my thought was that far too many of my college classmates, like my High School classmates, are either deceased or dying.  What a grief-filled day!  Then I remembered, especially since most of my friends were believers, that while we grieve, we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NRSV).  So, especially if you are near my age, contact a friend this week, before they, or you, get listed as “deceased.” Enjoy memories and thank God for “hope.”